The JCC provides a supportive, nurturing environment that promotes the emotional, social, physical, cognitive, and spiritual development of young children.
• We work in partnership with families to provide consistent care and education to their children in a loving, responsive manner. We strive to incorporate family home values, beliefs, experiences, and language into our curriculum, based on information provided in the Child and Family Profile and other input from families.
• Our program serves as a laboratory for the growing child's experiments in the mastery of new skills. Our program encourages active exploration of the environment, from the youngest child learning to crawl across open floor space to the oldest child investigating the physics and chemistry of the world around him. We promote curiosity, individual interests, creativity, and the development of self-esteem through play, the vehicle by which children learn and develop.
• We facilitate a child's development as she becomes a competent individual, increasingly independent in action and thought, acquiring new skills and knowledge. We view each child as unique and plan for individual needs. In addition, we help children gain an understanding of their own feelings and those of others, and we create a setting in which children can participate in cooperative, noncompetitive play.
• The environment is set up to be cozy and welcoming as well as stimulating and challenging. Each classroom has its own arrangement of areas and materials, and has a daily schedule and routines that are designed to suit both individual and group needs. Within this framework, children have many choices. There is time to be active, time to relax, time to explore outdoors, and time inside. Self-directed activities and materials are available, as are specially prepared ones.
• Problem solving, experimentation, and social interactions are encouraged through daily use of developmentally appropriate materials and activities. These may include blocks, dramatic play, water and sand, art, cooking, music, movement, group times, manipulatives, math, science, outdoor play, caring for animals, books, and language experiences.
- Encourages the development of the “whole” child by including the domains of cognitive (early literacy, early mathematics, science, technology, creative expression and appreciation for the arts, health and safety, and social studies when age appropriate), language, and social, emotional and physical development.
- Uses early learning standards (from the Texas Pre-Kindergarten Guidelines and the Texas Infant, Toddler and Three-Year-Old Early Learning Guidelines) to plan activities for both the individual child and the class. Standards are incorporated into play, exploration, projects and studies, and large and small group times.
- Presents the developmental (cognitive, social, emotional, physical) and content-based (literacy, math, science, etc.) domains in an integrated manner.
- Reflects diversity (gender, age, language, and abilities) and is culturally sensitive and responsive of individual family’s values, beliefs, and home language. Diversity can be observed in interactions and is evident in equipment and materials.
- Is primarily “child-centered” and emergent. Activities, materials, and themes are “driven” by the developmental needs and interests of children in the classroom. Input into the curriculum also comes from children’s families and the community. The teacher capitalizes on these and uses them as avenues for intentional teaching. Project work is valued and encouraged.
- Is play-based with large blocks of time allocated to children’s self-initiated learning choices, which include creative expression and play. The schedule provides opportunities for small-group and large-group activities as well as individualized instruction.
- Provides materials and experiences that are presented in an organized learning environment (both indoors and outdoors) to include learning centers for preschool children and learning zones for infants and toddlers. Children freely explore and experiment with materials and other children as well as with teachers who facilitate and participate in learning.
- Uses assessment and curriculum goals and objectives that are interrelated and viewed as a “Curriculum Braid” that weaves together early learning standards, activities and materials, and observation and assessment.
- Our teachers provide an environment that supports creativity by providing a large variety of open-ended materials, ones that lend themselves to various uses. We emphasize process, not product.
- In the process, the child can learn to experiment, explore, discover, enjoy sensory experiences, communicate, relive experiences, and work out fears. Any end product is usually secondary to the enjoyment of doing the activity for a young child.
- Like all aspects of child development, emotional development progresses in stages; time and maturity are needed for children to develop emotional mastery and behavioral control. Our goal is to help children develop independent, responsible, and caring behavior and to develop positive self-esteem.
- Our teachers help children find constructive ways to express needs and feelings, ways that are reasonable for particular levels of social competence and maturity. Because a young child does not yet understand the consequences of behaviors, we provide appropriate limits. This allows children to explore with confidence, knowing that an adult will protect them against injury. These limits match the level of development and the individual needs of each child; they are simply and consistently stated, along with an explanation of what the child is supposed to do and a reason why the behavior in question is unacceptable.
- There are many strategies a teacher may use when a child exhibits challenging behaviors. Effective techniques may include:
• Redirection to a different activity
• Problem solving and negotiation
• Restructuring the classroom space or schedules
• Reinforcement of positive behaviors and ignoring negative actions
• Providing activities that are of interest to the child
• Anticipating problems and eliminating them before they occur
• We help children learn to solve problems themselves by teaching them to identify the problem and generate possible solutions to find a mutually satisfying resolution.
- Children learn to express their feelings and ideas as well as to listen to others as they express themselves. Depending upon the age and the individual, this may mean more facilitation on the part of the teachers. Gradually, as a child matures, the responsibility for managing behaviors transfers from the adult to the child as he/she gains more competence in handling his/her own problems, gaining more self-control.
- We recognize that at times, a child can exhibit certain behaviors at school and others at home; the demands on a child in a group setting are often very different from what is required at home. Families are asked to keep teachers informed about routines at home and any changes that may occur in the child’s home life (i.e. divorce, separation, death of a family member or pet, deployment, etc.) that may affect a child's behavior. Teachers and parents work together to find a consistent approach; this sometimes means trying a new technique or changing a routine or approach at home or at the JCC.
In the event a child's behavior is out of control and requires one-on-one attention, the child's parent will be contacted immediately, and the parent may be asked to pick up their child. A meeting with the parent, the Director, and classroom teacher will be held to discuss the child's behavior and strategies to deal with those behaviors before the child may return to the program.
- Teachers promote language acquisition by conversing with children during their play, regular routines, and at mealtimes.
- Experiences with books, flannel boards, discussions, puppets, storytelling, and other activities aid in the child's language development, help him/her learn about the world, and promote an early appreciation of literature.
- We work with children and families to reflect the languages spoken by families in our program. We acknowledge and support children’s home language and culture.
- Our approach to literacy development is based on the International Reading Association (IRA) and the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) position statement. A continuum of reading and writing development is used as goals of literacy instruction.
- We will work with each child based on his/her developmental needs; some children will master skills earlier; some will need more time to develop these skills. Our primary goal is to develop a love of reading and writing while nurturing each child’s development in a positive and supportive manner.
In Phase One of literacy development, awareness and exploration are the goals. In this phase, children explore their environment and build the foundation for learning to read and write. At the JCC, teachers:
- Share books with children and model reading behaviors.
- Talk about letters by name and sound.
- Establish a literacy-rich environment (labeling items in the classroom, having a variety of books).
- Re-read favorite stories.
- Engage children in language games (silly songs and finger plays).
- Promote literacy-related play activities (using items such as magazines, notepads and pencils in dramatic play).
- Encourage children to experiment with writing.
In Phase Two of literacy development, experimental reading and writing are the goals. In this phase, children develop basic concepts of print and begin to engage in and experiment with reading and writing. At the JCC, teachers will:
- Encourage children to talk about reading and writing experiences.
- Provide many opportunities for children to explore and identify sound-symbol relationships in meaningful contexts.
- Help children to segment spoken words into individual sounds and blend the sounds into whole words.
- Frequently read interesting and conceptually rich stories to children.
- Provide daily opportunities for children to write (writing name, inventive spelling of words, journal writing).
- Help children develop a sight vocabulary (word bank).
- Create a literacy-rich environment for children to engage independently in reading and writing (materials which promote literacy development throughout the classroom).
In Phase Three of literacy development, early reading and writing are the goals. In this phase, children begin to read simple stories and to write about a topic that is meaningful to them. At the JCC, teachers:
- Support the development of vocabulary by reading daily to the children, transcribing their language, and selecting materials that expand children’s knowledge and language development.
- Help children build lists of commonly used words from their reading and writing.
- Model strategies and provide practice in identifying unknown words.
- Read, write, and discuss a range of different text types (poems, informational texts, narratives).
- Give children opportunities for independent reading and writing practice.
The following fundamental mathematical concepts and skills are integrated into our curriculum, based on the developmental needs of each child:
• One-to-one correspondence (understanding that one group has the same number of things as another)
• Number sense and counting (the connection between quantities and counting)
• Sets and classifying (things that can be put together in a group based on a common criteria such as color, size, shape, or function)
• Comparing (finding a relationship between two things or sets of things on the basis of a specific characteristic or attribute such as size, height, or number)
• Shape (circle, square, triangle, rectangle, rhombus, and ellipse)
• Space (position: on-off, over-under, in-out, above-below, etc.; direction: up-down, forward-backward, around-through; distance: near-far, close to-far from; organization and pattern: arranging things in a pattern until they fit or until they please the eye; construction: change the size and shape of the space to fit what is needed for things)
• Parts and wholes (understanding the idea that some things are made of special parts, that sets of things can be divided into parts, and that whole things can be divided into smaller parts)
• Ordering (higher level of comparing – placing things in a sequence from first to last)
• Patterning (making or discovering patterns such as sequence by color or number, patterns in nature, and patterns in movement, such as clapping or marching)
• Measurement of volume, weight, length, temperature, and time (introducing measurement using informal tools such as nonstandard units and estimation).
- We promote gross motor development by giving children opportunities to use their large muscles in a variety of ways such as crawling, walking, running, jumping, and hopping. We have state-of-the-art playgrounds with equipment and activities which promote the development of competence and confidence in each child’s use of their body.
- Additionally, children experience dance and movement, take nature walks and participate in parachute activities and playing ball.
- We promote fine motor development by providing numerous activities such as finger painting, playing with play dough, cutting with scissors, working puzzles, stringing beads, building with blocks, drawing and “writing”.
The science curriculum is based on a “wonder why” approach. Children are encouraged to explore and experiment in a hands-on environment that encourages the discovery of cause and effect. They are encouraged to investigate how the world works and to learn to take responsibility for protecting and caring for the environment. The following basic science process skills are introduced to allow children to gain new information through concrete experiences:
• Observing – using the senses to gather information about objects or events.
• Comparing – looking at similarities and differences in real objects.
• Classifying – grouping and sorting according to properties, such as size, shape, color, use, etc.
• Measuring – quantitative descriptions made by an observer either directly through observation or indirectly with a unit of measure.
• Communicating – communicating ideas, directions, and descriptions orally (or in written form) such as pictures or graphs so others can understand.
- We support a child’s developing sense of self. We provide a nurturing environment of encouragement and genuine respect so that children are able to develop confidence and competence by being given opportunities to take initiative, experience success in performing difficult tasks, and to figure things out for themselves.
- We encourage children to learn self-help skills such as serving their own snack and milk, dressing and undressing, toileting, washing hands, and cleaning up after themselves.
- Developing these skills adds to the child’s feelings of accomplishment and self-worth.
- The faculty use a variety of formal and informal measures to routinely assess the growth and physical, social, emotional, cognitive, and language development of your child.
- Teachers receive on-going professional development on the use of assessment procedures, including interpretation of the results as well as the conditions under which children are assessed.
- Assessment will occur within the natural setting of the classroom and the playground. The information from the rating scales, assessment portfolios, parent input and screenings for the children will be integrated with the curriculum goals and lesson planning to support individual learning styles and needs.
- Our program uses the Brigance Diagnostic Inventory of Early Development. Within the first three months of enrollment at the JCC, the overall development of your child will be assessed. The same rating scale will be used continuously throughout your child’s attendance in our program.
- Any developmental “red flags” or any concerns indicating possible delay determined from the assessment will be discussed with you. The teachers or the Director will make recommendations and/or assist the parents or guardians with professional contacts for further assessment.
- Each child’s individual records will be confidential and will be kept in a locked area.
The JCC uses assessment for the following purposes:
• To describe the developmental progress and learning of children.
• To improve curriculum and adapt teaching practices and the environment.
• To identify children’s interests and needs.
• To identify children who may require intervention and arrange for developmental screening and referrals for diagnostic assessment.
• To communicate with families.
• To plan program improvement.
- Assessment portfolios consisting of work samples, observations, anecdotal records, Brigance Diagnostic Inventory of Early Development data, Individual Planning Profile (IPP), and other methods to assess and record development and abilities, will be kept by the classroom lead teacher each year for each child and will be updated regularly during the year.
- The assessment portfolios will be shared with the family at parent-teacher conferences in the Fall and Spring and upon request at other times during the year. A written report will be given at the parent-teacher conferences. The assessment portfolios are kept in a locked closet in the classroom and will be passed on to the child’s next teacher at the beginning of each school year.
As our program is grounded in Judaism and the Jewish religion, these themes are present daily in the classroom.
• We observe Jewish holidays, follow the laws of Kashrut (Kosher dietary laws), learn about Israel, and introduce Jewish values at the child’s developmental level. Foods appropriate to the Jewish holidays are prepared by/for the children and eaten by them.
• The music program emphasizes songs in Hebrew and English and are related to Jewish themes.
• Children will be introduced to a simple Hebrew vocabulary, such as colors, numbers, and names of animals.
• The visual environment is created by posters, photographs, and objects that reflect our Jewish traditions. Teacher-made and commercial materials and games related to Jewish themes are integrated into daily activities.
• A Judaic resource teacher works with each class regularly to provide materials and activities that focus on Jewish customs, traditions, and values.
• To strengthen family life, the parents are invited to join the children in the celebration of each holiday.
*See Appendix D & E in the Family Handbook for a sample of values and the holiday descriptions
